Divination in Korea

How many of the Catholics go to fortune tellers is not easy to determine; on the bus you often see adds for fortune tellers mentioning: "Christians welcomed". Some of the Catholic go from curiosity, some with friends, others for entertainment purposes but then you have those who do want some affirmation on what they are doing and knowldege of the future.

When I hear of a Catholic who has gone to a fortune-teller there is a sadness that liberation was not complete. Usually in Korea we here the word ' philosophy hall' which gives it a very erudite feeling . In this day and age we have the Internet which allows you to frequent the tellers with ease and anonymity. The price is right and the desire of human kind to know the future is part of the attraction.

In years past in one of the parishes, a very active and intelligent member of the parish with a good paying job asked me about changing his name. He felt that it was not helping him in his quest for success. I have forgotten what I said but I was surprised at the question and desire to change his name to achieve success. This is probably more common than one would expect even among our Catholics.

The four pillars (Saju) is probably the most common type of fortune-telling where the ' teller' wants to know your date of birth: year, month, day and hour. From there he will procede to give you his prognostication. The whole process seems to be very complicated. Over the years I have heard about the 'tee' which is the Korean zodiac with the 12 animals quite different from the Western Zodiac. They also read your face and work with the yin- yang theory and the five primary elements which appear as the days of the week in the Korean calendar- an import from the west by way of China. The tellers can weave these all together to come up with something that does satisfy those who frequent these diviners.

The Catholic Church has been very clear in its opposition to divination, the Catholic Catechism number 2116 states: "All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone."

In the Christian Initiation of Adults we have the first stage which includes the minor exorcisms. Baptism is a liberation from all that does not give us freedom in Jesus. We get rid of fear and one of the big reasons for fear is the unknown and the sense that we are controlled by it. The truth should make us free and freedom from superstition is a great part of that freedom. Superstition is not reasonable and is harmful.

Accountability Not Always Pleasant

Over the years there has been a number of surveys made of parishes here in Inchon and the results used in the pastoral work. A great deal of time and money was spent in trying to do a very in depth and objective study of the situation, but the time was not ripe in most cases for the implementation of what was discovered. Top- down leadership does have certain benefits, but unless the willingness of those involved is present, little happens.

The effort to become more efficient is part of the Korean organizational ability. We usually have a period of less than six years in a parish, and the continuity with the previous direction is not always present.

One of the parishes in Seoul with the help of the diocese made a study of a parish of 6 000 registered Catholics- considered an ordinary parish in the city of Seoul. This was reported to be the first parish in Seoul that has made the results public. Hopefully, the time is ripe to spread the information to other dioceses and parishes throughout the country and efforts made to implement the findings.

The results were somewhat surprising in that the number one reason for leaving the Church were problems between members of the community, alienation- 30.2%; money and time- 22%, difficulty of confession - 13.5% those who have no interest in religion was 3.9%.

The Peace Weekly mentioned that some of the respondents felt that it was difficult to see the priest; those who were leaders in the parish gave an impression of self- righteousness that militated against expressing one's opinion within the community.

Many feel there is a lack of information on what ails some of the parishes and this information would be of help to those who are interested. In my experience the information is there for those who want it now, but none of us likes criticism.

The Maryknoll Society some years ago wanted all of us involved in Korea to show that we have exercised our powers and discharged our duties properly. A lot of time and effort went into the work but it all became a dead letter. We are too sensitive and do not like to hear bad news. It was an attempt at transparency, answerability, compliance but without results.

Hopefully the efforts expended in the one parish of Seoul will be taken seriously and efforts made to carry out what was learned.

The Relationship of State and Religion

The Catholic Peace Weekly reported on an Academic Meeting in which a professor from Hanshin University said that the influence of religion decreases in the degree that it is involved in politics. The professor mentioned the recent history and drew his conclusions. The Catholic Church has experienced this often in its history.

From 1940 to 1945 you had the Protestant conservative element that sided with the Japanese and a drop in the number of Protestants.

From the years 1955-62 during the presidency of Syngman Rhee when you had the ascendancy of the Protestants you had another drop . Many of the members of the Provisional Government were Protestants who had studied overseas and returned to Korea. Of the 50 Koreans who were involved in the government 35 were Protestants.

In the years 1995-2005 you had President Kim Young -sam an elder who was followed by Kim Dae- jung and Rho Moo-hyun. Both of their Sunshine policies- trying to break down the walls between the South and North was opposed by many of the Protestant conservatives- another drop in the number of Protestants.

The professor mentions two principles which he feels are necessary to successfully be involved in politics. You have to have the confidence of society, the society has to acknowledge the virtue of the leaders of the Church. Secondly you have to use the same words that society is using and there has to be a harmonious exchange of positions. If these conditions are not present the Church will be the loser.

He mentions that President Lee Myung-bak an elder of the Somang Church and many of the conservative Protestants in the government have given the impression that they are not interested in the common good as much as their own ends. This has divided the Protestant conservatives and progressives, caused strife between religions and divided groups in society.

The Buddhist are not known to take to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with what is happening but this did take place and for good reasons. They have been slighted and it was easily seen in the way the government was responding to them. Usually Korea is know as a country tolerant of the many different groups in the society.

President Lee has apologized to the Buddhists and recently in an attempt to reconcile attended a Buddhist Dharma Service the first of his presidency. There has been a change in the affronts to the non-Christian elements of the society which is a good sign for the future.

The Place of Death in the Korean Psyche

Today is All Souls' Day in the Catholic World. In Korea the praying for the dead is an important part of the culture. It is part of the Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist and Catholic conviction that those who have died are still in some way connected with us. The Protestant Church for the most part does not pray for the dead: seen as not Scriptural by some of the Reformers. This seems to be changing somewhat. It is acknowledged that the Jews at the time of Christ did have temple prayers for the dead. Would Jesus and the disciples have abstained from those prayers?


The Koreans remember their dead on many other occasions but especially on New Years and Harvest Festival Days. They also count 105 days from the winter solstice to Han Sik Day when they go to the grave of their ancestors to eat a cold lunch, refurbish the grave site, pray and have their rites.


The Church like the Koreans has a tradition that keeps the dead in mind and heart. It was a trajedy that when Catholicism was introduced to Korea the missioners did see much superstition tied up with the rites and they were prohibited; however we should remember the respect and praying for the dead was still a very important part of the Church's teaching and liturgy. The early Korean Catholics continued to have great respect for the ancestors but expressed it in a different way.


Living in Korea it was natural to have been changed in many ways, and one way is the feeling for the dead. They are always with me. On a trip to the States, on arrival and leaving, I make it a point to go to the grave site of my parents. Just the other day a family from Incheon came here to pray for their parents who died in Hwanghae-do, North Korea - our island faces N.K.


It seems so natural to want to pray and remember the dead. In the 2nd Book of Maccabees the passage 12:38, even if the book is not considered canonical by the Jews, shows they prayed for the dead and this was carried over by our first Christians. There is something very natural in wanting to remember and pray for those who have died. To be remembered in prayer, after death, is also a wish of many of us.

Training to be Saints in Korea

Today is All Saints' Day, a time to think of all those who have run the race, finished the course with a life well lived. The Catholic Peace Weekly had an interview this week with the president of the Incheon Seminary on the program being followed at the seminary. In my words: he wants to make saints out of the seminarians.


He mentioned that the Holy Father has given us the "Year of the Priest" that started on June 19, of this year to encourage "spiritual perfection" in priests. The priesthood is being threatened by secularism and values that undermine the identity of the priesthood itself, calling for the strengthening of the formation program of the seminarians.


The president feels that theological studies, the requirements of culture in the intellectual pursuit of knowledge are important, but the target of the education is: "maturity in the spiritual life". "We are attempting to help the seminarians cultivate a life of the spirit."


"There is little that we can brag about compared to other seminaries, but we have brought into the seminary the Charismatic Retreat, the Focolare Movement, the retreat of the Heart of Jesus, and other movements, giving the seminarians a varied choice of spiritual possibilities.The seminarians are faced with many temptations and doubts against their vocation which require a strong spiritual foundation."


This is good news and hopefully the expectations of the president will see fruit. Our culture is interested in efficiency, results, competition, appearances, success, money, well being, and health, all very important, but it is not the 'all of life' or the most important part, but the discord
and the pull of the culture continues.


Is it possible to live a life without the attraction of these important values? possibly not; we can sublimate the attraction to a deeper appreciation of why we want those important values and discern what we truly desire and need. The seminarians like all of us will be bombarded with these values and often make them their own but with a good foundation in spirituality these external elements will give way to the inner ones. Heroic virtue is not easily achieved but what the seminary has in mind is to have the seminarians conscious that it is God's work; we can be open to the graces which will work against these attractions to a life of virtue and maturity.


What is necessary to be a Saint? St. Thomas said: "to will it." It is God's work but we have to put ourselves in the position to receive the help. The Seminarians in the Incheon Seminary are shown that this desire for holiness is considered primary in the education of our future priests and asking the seminarians to "will it."

Belated Recognition of a Patriot

Yesterday while teaching our catechumens I was asked how is it that Ahn Jung- geun, patriot, is considered a hero even though he killed the Resident-General of Japan in Harbin station? "The Church teaches that we have to follow the ten commandments and here is a case where Ahn deliberately murdered someone. Isn't that forbidden by the Ten Commandments?" It is an easy question to answer after the fact but those faced with the decision, a person with Ahn's sensitivity, have to be tormented by what they plan to do. The times have changed a great deal from those of Ahn's and I think we would have an easier time of making judgments after the Two World Wars, the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq conflicts and the Rwanda genocide.


This month is the 100 anniversary of the assassination; the Korean society has embraced Patriot Ahn close to their heart. Even though he was a devout Catholic the Church came very late to acknowledge his deed as patriotic and justifiable. The catechumen had a lot of company in thinking the way he did.

The Catholic Church's teaching on this issue is not that clear and there are so many distinctions that are made that it is not easy for the ordinary person to make a quick judgement on what is allowed and not allowed. The Catholic Encyclopedia does have a paragraph which does give one a feeling for what is involved:

While actually attacking the powers that be, a tyrant by usurpation is a traitor acting against the common weal, and, like any other criminal, may be put to death by legitimate authority. If possible, the legitimate authority must use the ordinary forms of law in condemning the tyrant to death, but if this is not possible, it can proceed informally and grant individuals a mandate to inflict the capital punishment St. Thomas (In II Sent., d. XLIV, Q. ii, a. 2), Suarez (Def. fidei, VI, iv, 7), and the majority of authorized theologians say that private individuals have a tacit mandate from legitimate authority to kill the usurper when no other means of ridding the community of the tyrant are available.

Union of Catholic Asian News has a summary of the reasons for the change of course on patriot Ahn. Click here to see the article. Below is a free translation of the letter patriot Ahn wrote to his wife before his death. It appeared in the Catholic Peace Weekly on the front page.

To the mother of Benedict:

Blessed be Jesus!
Both of us in this world filled with tears and vainity have been joined together
as husband and wife by God's providence. And now by God's will, separated, but by God's grace shortly we will meet again in glory in God's eternal heaven.

I pray you are not overcome by emotion, you trust in God's providence
and remain zealous in the faith, give your obedience to mother, live in harmony with the two brothers, work hard at the education of the children , cope with life take care of your spiritual life in peace, having hope for eternal happiness in the next life.

I want you to know that I have decided to strive to have our oldest son Benedict become a priest, please do not forget and offer him to God and prepare him to become a priest when he grows up.

I have many words to say to you they will have to wait until we get to heaven and meet with joy and happiness, at that time I will be speaking very deeply to you, that is my belief and fervent hope.

1910 Feb. 14
Your husband, Thomas

Korea the Beauty Capital of Asia

Korea is the cosmetic capital of Asia: the home of skilled practitioners of the art of beauty making.The Chosun Ilbo in a three part series on this very lucrative and popular new area of competition covered the area rather completely. The competition is not only between the practitioners of the art but those who want to enhance their 'lookism' compared to others

The article mentions in recent years there is no longer any embarrassment in having a beauty job done on one's face. You will find women shopping and going to cafes with their faces still swollen from the surgery. Today it has become common even among the men, it is no longer seen as a flaw , but an act of kindness to others to improve your looks.

The paper mentioned that they had 6 medical specialists go out on the streets of some busy areas in Seoul to make a survey of how many have had these surgeries. They did this on two different occasions and have come up with the figure that 836 of 1800 have had surgery. They also asked those who went to an Internet homepage dealing with marriages and surveyed those who visited. Between the ages of 20 and 30, 4 out of 5 women have thought of having the procedure done. In short, it is part of the culture.

There is little need to go further, the desire to look good is part of our psyche and in Korea they have a very thriving entertainment business : the faces you see are beautiful. Seeing facial beauty daily, does make you reflect on your own face, saddened on what you have to see in the mirror every day.

'Lookism' is part of the society we live in. The way you are seen is going to determine the jobs you get, the money you make and even the person you marry. This is the 'lookism' society that we have made. Those of us with a Christian world view, feel a sadness but the facts are such that many feel little esteem for themselves, they have not been accepted for what they have interiorly made of themselves and are judged on their appearances. They have recourse to those who can help this exterior and it is difficult to say they shouldn't be doing what the culture is requiring. This deep seated 'lookism' is not only located here in Korea but an accepted part of the life we live.

The mass media, the lack of depth in our thinking and spirituality are partially the problem but the facts are the facts and no matter how we try to see things differently ㅡlife is not fair: this we should try to face and teach. There are many other things that are more important than our looks but for success in this world we can't ignore the obvious but only hope for efforts made to see life in its totality. The last years when appearance is not that important should always be part of the picture.